Justified Cursing

Author: Sickle

What do I mean when I say curse? Simply put, I define a curse as any magick which intentionally harms or hinders. If I were to use magick to stop the growth of a tumor by attacking it directly, I would in effect be cursing the cancer. I use this example because the rest of what I am going to say relates to how curses can be used for the greater good.

I was recently discussing the idea of curses with a trusted friend of mine. I was saying that there were times when curses were necessary, if not down and out required. She went on to remind me of the Threefold Law.

First of all, the Threefold Law is bogus.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If I punch a brick wall with 20 lbs of force, I get 20 lbs of force back against my fist. I don’t get 60 lbs of pressure in return.

If I dig a hole one foot wide, one foot long, and one foot deep, the “Universe” doesn’t fill in that hole with nine square feet of earth. As a matter of fact, the “Universe” doesn’t even care about my little hole.

If I curse someone (for reasons I’ll get to later), the magick is not going to rebound to me, bringing with it three times the doom and gloom I may have sent . Experience has taught me this is so. Some may say, “But wait! What about what you said about ‘an equal and opposite reaction’?” Fair enough question. Let’s say that the above mentioned brick wall will collapse if I punch it with 100 lbs of force. Let’s also say that I have conditioned my fist to withstand 200 lbs of pressure, as well as being able to stand the rough texture of the bricks. I still get the reciprocated force, but it doesn’t affect me, at least not like it does the wall. I felt some pressure, but the wall has collapsed.

What does come into effect, are the consequences of ones actions. If I destroy ten oak trees because I suddenly find myself in a fit of rage against acorns, that’s no big deal (as far as the “big picture”). If I destroy all the plants on Earth because I hate flora in general, I will surely suffer from the loss of oxygen and ultimately die (very big deal). This isn’t a response from the Threefold Law. My destruction due to rage didn’t elicit the wrath of the “Universe”, and result in the ultimate demise of yours truly. My death would be a result of my actions, as well as general stupidity.

The reason I was talking with my trusted friend about curses, is because I was saying how they could be used as acts of justice. If there is a serial rapist on the loose, would it not be the responsibility of those who can to stop him? What if your only method of stopping him involved whispering the Words of Darkness, and making his member shrivel up? Would it be justified?

I say yes.

During this same conversation, my friend mentioned that doing so may interfere with the rapist’s karma. Perhaps he came into his current incarnation to learn what it was like to be convicted of a horrible crime, sentenced to prison, and so on. My problem with that is that it allows said rapist to continue his horrendous actions until said lesson comes into play. Who knows how long that might be? How many people must suffer just so he can learn?

I hear people–mostly New Agers–all the time talking of the “Journey of the Soul”. This is the idea that, before we were born into our physical bodies, we chose what kind of life we would live, in order that we might learn spiritual lessons. These same people preach that it is wrong to interrupt someone’s Journey, as it results in the retardation of the soul’s evolution. The problem here is that kind of thinking can lead to any number of atrocities. For example, the starving could be left to starve. After all, they knew what they were getting into, right? Who are we to interfere with their Cosmic Lessons? Murderers could go unchecked. Perhaps they needed to experience the taking of life. No?

Going back to our rapist-at-large, one could say that it would be wrong to interfere with his “Journey of the Soul”, as he is simply following a path to spiritual evolution. If not, then karma will surely make things right. Equal and opposite reaction after all, right?

True. In order for that happen, though, you sometimes must BE karma.

I look at karma as the result of ones actions. Kill ten trees and you’ll live. Kill them all, and you’ll die.

Commit horrible acts, and you’ll get cursed.

By no means am I advocating “casual cursing”. There’s a big difference between stopping a killer and killing your ex-boyfriend because he dumped you for your sister. The decision to throw a curse must be well thought out, just like any other form of justifiable punishment. Other methods of justice must be sought as well. Cursing can take time, and there are instances when a mundane method would have been more practical, not to mention faster.

However, if you’re unable to stop someone from committing heinous crimes in any other fashion than by hexing, I say it is your duty to do so. To stand back and wait for something else to bring things to a halt is actually a promotion of the crimes. If the perpetrator had done nothing wrong, then they would not be the victim of the curse in the first place–provided you are an ethical curser. It isn’t like they were just minding their own business when you decided to give them leprosy.

There are times for letting things be, and there are times for changing the course of the flow.

Just make sure your reasoning is just, and your fist is strong.

Is There a Right Time to Curse?

Author: Sleeping Moon

First off, I want to get something straight that even pagans seem to misunderstand. Or have been misguided into believing. (Not all, mind you, but most.) Hexes are NOT curses! Hexes are painted signs posted on barns down in the south to promote positive influences over the property and those that live there.

Curses are quite different. From the Wikipedia (on-line dictionary) the definition is: A curse (also called execration) is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object. In particular, “curse” may refer to a wish that harm or hurt will be inflicted by any supernatural power, such as a spell, a prayer, an imprecation, an execration, magic, witchcraft, a god, a natural force, or a spirit. In many belief systems, the curse itself (or accompanying ritual) is considered to have some causative force in the result.

They claim that a curse holds no power unless the recipient believes in it. I don’t believe that’s necessarily true. A curse has merit no matter what. It’s a solid form of magick just as a spell is. It has its purpose and has a place. They exist for a reason and if used correctly, they can be a force of nature to be reckoned with.

There are a few pagans who have called a dark deity as their matron/patron. Kali, The Morrigan, Calliach, Hecate, Badb, Skatha, Nemisis, Morgana, Innana and Lilith, Hades, Anubis, Setesh, Hoder, just to name a few.

What’s the difference with calling one of these dark deities and a curse? There are many forms of magic to use in calling forth the dark deities, but all in all, the dark deities are: Dark. You wouldn’t call on Kali or The Morrigan to cast a love spell. They are more for revenge and war than love and laughter.

In the beginning I would never have even thought about cursing any one. For any reason whatsoever. Many years later, my logic has changed.

I feel that there is a time to curse and a time to use another approach. If harm befell upon your loved one, for example if he/she was raped, shot, or killed, (these being the more serious offenses) , I can agree that a curse is more of an appropriate form of magick than to send that person ‘peace and love’. The damage has been done and is irrevocable so in my opinion, a curse is warranted and justifiable. Surrounding yourself with protection and that loved one (whether living or not) is always a positive take, but you would want to see that person get the justice he/she deserves. Right? You wouldn’t want that person to be able to harm other folk, right? You’d do every thing with in your capable means (with in the law) to get what they deserve.
So why not a curse?

I understand that Wiccans, the traditional ones, wouldn’t condone such a notion because of the three-fold law. But, as I stated beforehand, the damage HAS been done, so there is no further harm. Every thing in life has a good and bad side to it, just as it does in magick. No matter what we do in magick, we are taking something from some one else. That extra energy we use to cast a spell could be used for some one fighting a serious illness. In the air we breathe, we are taking that air from some one else. We use a candle to focus. We use that source of light from some one that may need it during a power outage or in a third world country that has no power what so ever. The list could go on and on. It’s a nice rule, but it’s an oxy moron. It doesn’t fit. Not technically.
Of course I would never agree to a curse just because I didn’t like some one. The damage that would warrant a curse from me would have to be severe.

Curses have a long history. It dates back to ancient Egyptian times. Probably dates back to the cave men, but for theory’s use, I will stick to then.

In Haiti, curses are called getting “crossed”. In Voodoo it’s called a jinx as well as a form of foot track magic. The “evil eye” is thought to stem from the Middle Eastern and the Mediterranean areas.

In Greece they are called katadesmoi and in Rome, tabulae defixiones. In Ireland there are many known forms of curses such as curse stones or egg curses, New Year curses and milk curses. Chinese peoples have them. The Indonesians, the Indians (not with the feather!) the Europeans, the Brits and the Scottish people have curses in their history. Even Native Americans.

The Native American people of the southern plains called these types of witches Skin Walkers. Skin Walkers where as nasty as one witch or wizard could possible get with the use of black magick. These beings are supposed to be able to extract revenge upon the help less victim by placing an animal skin over their human bodies and thus shape shifting into the form of that animal. While in the guise of the animal they choose, they can wreck havoc upon the poor soul they choose to victimize.

Even in the bible there are curses hidden within. God himself placed a curse upon the snake “You are cursed more than all cattle”, (Genesis 3:14) . As a result of Adam and Eve disobeying God, the ground is also cursed: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” (3:17) . Cain is cursed from the earth, “So now you are cursed from the earth”, (4:11) . In the New Testament Paul sees curses as central to the meaning of Jesus’ crucifixion. In Galatians 3:13 he says: “Christ redeems us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us…”. He refers to Deuteronomy: ” anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse.” (21:23 RAEDM)

So if even God himself used them, they are credited aren’t they? Why can’t we use them if the damage has been done?

I wish the world were all frilly and white. But, it’s not. There are lines of grey that border on crossing over to black; there are lines of grey that border on crossing over to the lines of white. That’s the way life works. It’s the way Nature lives and the way humans are bred. Nature is neither cruel nor loving, it just is. And magick is the same, in my book.

Again, if the damage has been done, why can’t a curse be warranted?

Why Sharks Circle You Before Attacking

Two great white sharks swimming in the ocean spied survivors of a sunken ship. “Follow me son” the father shark said to the son shark and they swam to the mass of people.

“First we swim around them a few times with just the tip of our fins showing.” And they did.

“Well done, son! Now we swim around them a few times with all of our fins showing.” And they did.

“Now we eat everybody.” And they did.

When they were both gorged, the son asked, “Dad, why didn’t we just eat them all at first? Why did we swim around and around them?”

His wise father replied, “Because they taste better without the shit inside!”

For more great Pagan humor, visit Turok’s Cabana

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2016 August 8

Perseid Meteors over Mount Shasta
Image Credit & Copyright: Brad Goldpaint (Goldpaint Photography)

Explanation: Where are all of these meteors coming from? In terms of direction on the sky, the pointed answer is the constellation of Perseus. That is why the meteor shower that peaks later this week is known as the Perseids — the meteors all appear to came from a radiant toward Perseus. In terms of parent body, though, the sand-sized debris that makes up the Perseids meteors come from Comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet follows a well-defined orbit around our Sun, and the part of the orbit that approaches Earth is superposed in front of the Perseus. Therefore, when Earth crosses this orbit, the radiant point of falling debris appears in Perseus. Featured here, a composite image containing over 60 meteors from last August’sPerseids meteor shower shows many bright meteors that streaked over Mount Shasta, California, USA. This year’s Perseids holds promise to be the best meteor shower of the year.

Moon near star Spica on August 8

Author

The Words of Confucius

When we see persons of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see persons of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.

Your Charm for Today

Today’s Meaning:
The spirit of someone you knew dearly is trying to guide you in this aspect. In a dark room light a single candle and focus upon its light. Listen carefully with your heart and you will know what to do.

General Description:
These Gnostic amulets were held in high esteem for their supposed magical properties. They were made of bronze, sometimes gilt, and covered with inscriptions and curious occult signs. The Gnostics were mystic sects which flourished in the second century A.D., in the Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. The nails were carried as charms for protection from all evil influences, also to guard the living from the lemurs, the ghosts of the unhappy dead. Nails with inscriptions were frequently buried with the body to prevent any haunting by the spirit.

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

The Peacock

The iridescent emerald plumage and spectacular broad tail of The Peacock make it the ideal symbol of both justified pride and vanity. It denotes the right for one to be proud of themselves for being who they are and for letting others know. In short, its okay to strut a bit. At the same time The Peacock reminds us that while pride and high self esteem are essential components of a healthy psyche, becoming too full of one’s self makes us vain, and vanity is never attractive in anyone.

As a daily card, The Peacock is reminder that you are inherently valuable, and have a right to be proud of who you are as well as let others know you are proud of yourself. It is also a warning to not allow you pride and sense of self worth grow to such grand proportions that you become vain and conceited.

Today’s Witches Rune

Man

Meaning: The Man rune demands action. It’s not longer time to quietly sit and think, or to hide yourself and heal. No, it’s time to get up and fight for what you want. If things are slow or stagnated, change them. Begin something new. It’s not a moment to let things flow as they will, but to grab the reigns and gain control over the situation. Be the leader and defend your stand.

While the Woman rune is about healing, this one can be about defending yourself, and, sometimes, hurting or getting hurt in the process. You may have to defend your opinions, your actions or choices against some aggressive people. This rune offers you a challenge, but is also shows that you have the resources needed to face it. Naturally, this rune has very aggressive potentials in it, and they need a good deal of discipline in order to not become sorely destructive.

The Man rune also accelerates everything… nothing stays still when its around. The outcome of your question may happen sooner than you expected, but the result will probably be unexpected. It does not mean that all will go wrong, no – things will simply develop in unseen ways.

In relationship readings, the Man rune promises a period of instability, so it’s important to not have high expectations. Under the influence of this rune, the relationship can be a stairway to Heaven or a ticket to Hell… and sometimes both, in a short period of time. It promises a bumpy journey for the heart, but with a great level of intensity. The Man rune can stand for love/hate relationship, cat and rat games and obsessions… the kind of things that turns one nuts (for good and for bad). This rune is good in questions concerning sexuality.

Additional information about Today’s Witches courtesy of Your Spiritual Journey Australia

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